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Janus Global Operations hails State Department-provided vehicles and equipment as helping to rid Laos of explosive remnants of war

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The task of ridding Laos of explosive remnants of war (ERW) received a boost in January, as the U.S. Embassy in Laos presented new vehicles and equipment to the Laotian agencies responsible for clearing unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the country, says an official of Janus Global Operations.

Janus Global Operations

Janus is providing technical advice to Lao demining teams in support of a critical State Department program. According to a 2016 NPR report, Laos is "the most bombed country, per capita, in history."

U.S. Ambassador Rena Bitter made the Jan. 12, 2018 presentation of 15 Toyota Land Cruisers and 15 sets of equipment to the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Program (UXO Lao). The vehicles and equipment will be used by 15 UXO teams working in three provinces.

"The nearly half-million dollar contribution by the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, through a program financed by the Department of State, will make a significant impact in the work to clear Laos of unexploded ordnance, much of it remaining from the period of U.S. involvement in Vietnam," said Matt Kaye, Janus Global president and chief executive officer.

"Laos is among the most bomb-contaminated places on Earth," said Kaye. "By getting the bombs out of the ground and rendering them harmless, we ensure Laos' people are safer." Janus Global's team includes five expatriate employees and four Laotians.

Janus Global, an integrated stability operations company, is working in Laos on behalf of the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement. Janus provides technical advisory support to the Lao PDR National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action. Janus Global also works with UXO Lao in survey and clearance operations; field management; quality management and information management.

"Our purpose is helping to build capacity and proficiency in the technical, financial, and managerial aspects of unexploded ordnance clearance," said David Johnson, Janus Global Vice President for Strategic Development. "We also provide oversight for funds spent on teams working in the field."

Johnson said tens of thousands of unexploded bombs, many of which are cluster munitions, have been discovered and eliminated since the U.S. government began helping to fund the UXO clearance work.

Janus Global Operations is a worldwide company with thousands of employees serving customers with munitions response; demining; life support; intelligence support; logistics; communications; risk management and other services in some of the world's most austere and hostile environments. The company's website is www.janusgo.com.